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| About 400 people from across the US and even from other countries flooded into the Riggers Loft on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon in Richmond to kick off the Resilient by Design, Bay Area Challenge. This was a great way to showcase Richmond and the Richmond shoreline. Most of the attendees had never been to the Riggers Loft, and about half had never even been to Richmond.
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I was asked to open the event by welcoming people to Richmond. I also serve on the executive board for Resilient by Design.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, September 11, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT:
Derek Jansen, 415-834-8725
djansen@wearerally.com
10 Design Teams from Around the Globe Selected to Create Community-Based Solutions to Climate Change in the Bay Area
Climate scientists, landscape architects, artists, engineers, community members, and students are coming together with Bay Area residents and community leaders to reimagine our future in the face of climate change
Through the support of The Rockefeller Foundation and others, the Bay Area Challenge proactively reimagines the region’s future by tackling climate change before disaster strikes
Richmond, Calif. – Yesterday, Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge, an exciting new approach to addressing climate change before disaster strikes, revealed the 10 Design Teams selected to join local community members in the year-long research and design challenge. Design Teams, chosen from over 350 local and global experts, were announced by State Senator Bob Wieckowski, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt and other leaders at a lively community BBQ along the beautiful Richmond Shoreline. Through the support of The Rockefeller Foundation and others, the Design Teams will collaborate with local communities over the next nine months to create 10 innovative approaches for the Bay Area – and lay out a blueprint for resilience in our region and communities around the world facing the effects of climate change.
The 10 selected Design Teams were chosen from a pool of landscape architects, engineers, horticulturists, students and more, hailing from 9 countries and 13 states. Get to know the 10 Design Teams selected here: http://www.resilientbayarea.org/kickoffvideo
“Our ten Design Teams selected stood out because of their creativity, innovation, and deep commitment to community,” said Amanda Brown-Stevens, Managing Director of Resilient by Design. “Our Design Teams are on the ground this week as we kick off the next phase of the Bay Area Challenge to hear from local voices dedicated to making our region more resilient. This is the first step in what will be a collaboration with local experts to identify locations around the Bay that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.”
In addition to introducing the Design Teams, the celebration served as the Kickoff for the research phase of the Challenge. A schedule of community events was shared detailing where Design Teams will explore the Bay Area through four week-long tours. The tours will be guided by local experts and community members and will identify locations vulnerable to sea level rise, severe storms, flooding and earthquakes. These tours will help the Design Teams develop a deeper understanding of the climate change issues facing the Bay Area.
Resilient by Design is hosting public events this week, including a science panel led by the San Francisco Estuary Institue on September 12, 2017 at 6pm at the Exploratorium, a community event in Pittsburg on the theme of Living in Challenging Times: Perspectives on Poverty and Climate Resilience on September 14, 2017 at 6:30pm, and additional community events will be held throughout October and November. A calendar of public events is available at http://www.resilientbayarea.org/upcoming-events/.
For the next 3 months, the Design Teams will tour community chosen sites and at the end of this phase, Design Teams will be paired with locations at a public event in December, marking the beginning the next phase and the start of site-specific design work.
“The Bay Area has always been on the forefront of leading change and now has the collective opportunity to take a true next step. Not only will the Challenge bring about 10 new approaches to serve as blueprints for the region, but it can also connect the community long-term to the idea of resilience,” said Tom Butt, Mayor of Richmond. “We are proud to stand with the 163 municipalities and 9 counties who join Richmond in making this a priority.”
The year-long challenge will result in 10 implementable projects revealed just before Governor Jerry Brown’s scheduled Global Climate Action Summit and underscores the Bay Area’s role at the forefront of the fight against climate change. While each Design Team application has at least one local team member and a handful of teams hail entirely from the Bay Area, a vast array of renowned experts joining the Challenge from around the world speaks to broad interest.
Resilient by Design also announced a key partnership with Y-PLAN, an award-winning educational strategy that empowers young people to tackle real-world problems in their communities through project-based civic learning experiences. Y-PLAN will work in tandem with the Bay Area Challenge empowering students to dream big and envision a more resilient Bay Area grounded in equity, and providing sources of inspiration for future college and career readiness for young aspiring resilience planners.
Additional quotes:
“The Bay Area will emerge stronger and safer if we take on the impacts of climate change now,” said Dave Cortese, President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. “This Challenge will help to protect our economy and our communities so our children and grandchildren can inherit a thriving Bay Area.”
“The Bay Area and the State of California has always been at the forefront of social justice and environmental consciousness, and this Challenge is no different,” said Senator Bob Wieckowski, chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. “As the impacts of climate change touch more Bay Area residents, and as the federal government grows more out of step with our values, now more than ever, we need local action that harnesses that same forward-thinking spirit and embraces our history of taking on difficult challenges.”
“Rising seas are already impacting our most vulnerable communities and threatening outdated and insufficient infrastructure around the country. More than ever before, it is critical that we work together to find innovative ways to protect our communities, which is why we are proud to support this Challenge,” said Patrick Brennan, Chief of Staff of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Bay Area’s commitment to Resilient by Design will help reimagine the region’s future, create resilient communities, and serve as a blueprint for others around the world to take a similar approach.”
Concluding in May 2018, the Challenge will result in 10 new implementable projects that offer an imaginative and collaborative approach to climate resilience, and help to address other looming issues around housing, health, transportation and inequity.
The 10 selected Design Teams include:
- BIG + ONE + SHERWOOD
- Bionic Team
- Common Ground
- HASSELL+
- Permaculture + Social Equity
- Public Sediment
- The All Bay Collective
- The Field Operations Team
- The Home Team
- Team UPLIFT
More information about each Design Team can be found at www.resilientbayarea.org/teams
About Resilient by Design
Resilient by Design | Bay Area Challenge is a collaborative research and design initiative that connects design leaders to community members, local leaders and national experts. In a yearlong challenge, 10 Design Teams of architects, engineers, designers and other experts will work alongside community members and local government to identify critical areas along the San Francisco Bayfront and propose exciting new solutions that will strengthen our region’s resilience to sea level rise, severe storms, flooding and earthquakes.
In the upcoming weeks, these design experts will join our neighbors in collaboration with local experts to kick off the first of four week-long tours around the Bay Area, researching and identifying local sites that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change like sea level rise.
The Challenge will result in 10 new implementable solutions designed to help communities adapt to the future effects of climate change. These solutions will be designed to improve public access to recreation areas, address housing issues, protect vulnerable infrastructure and strengthen transportation systems.
The Challenge was also modeled on New York Rebuild by Design, a partnership of The Rockefeller Foundation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Challenge will forge close ties with 100 Resilient Cities, a network pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, of which San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley are members. 100 Resilient Cities is seeking to help 100 cities build resilience to thrive in 21st-century.
The Resilient by Design Executive Board is made up of leaders around the region representing governments, agencies, nonprofits and advocacy groups throughout the Bay Area. The Rockefeller Foundation is providing major funding for this effort, along with other generous funders including The California State Coastal Conservancy, Bay Area Regional Collaborative, The Seed Fund, Santa Clara Valley Water District, City and County of San Francisco, Resources Legacy Fund, Marin Community Foundation, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
Website: www.resilientbayarea.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/resilientbayarea
Facebook: www.fb.com/resilientbayarea
Twitter: www.twitter.com/resilientbay |
